HHS to declare maternal Tylenol use a risk factor for autism, report says

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to release a report this month that lists potential causes of autism spectrum disorder. According to insiders, it includes the use of acetaminophen, or Tylenol, during pregnancy. 

In a report, the Wall Street Journal said HHS is prepared to name “low folate levels and acetaminophen during pregnancy” as risk factors for autism, citing officials with HHS who are familiar with the matter. 

The theory that Tylenol is linked to autism has persisted for a long time; however, scientists have been unable to find a causal connection, and publications on the topic have mixed findings. 

For example, a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, using 20 years of birth data, found that umbilical cord “blood samples [that] contained the highest levels of acetaminophen” were matched to patients who were “roughly three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder later in childhood, compared to children with the lowest levels of acetaminophen in their cord blood”—that’s according to a statement summarizing the findings. [1] 

That study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in 2019. 

However, another study, published by JAMA in 2024, used birthing data from Sweden to see if maternal use of acetaminophen was correlated with childhood autism—no connection was found. [2] 

Notably, it’s been confirmed HHS is not doing any new clinical studies for their report. Rather, their analysis will be based on available research. In a statement to multiple media outlets, the agency declined to comment on claims made in the Wall Street Journal.

“We are using gold-standard science to get to the bottom of America’s unprecedented rise in autism rates,” a spokesperson said. “Until we release the final report, any claims about its contents are nothing more than speculation.”